Travel Itinerary: Ten Days in Colombia

Greetings everyone! This week I will be flying to South America, to visit the stunning country of Colombia. ❤️

Now, aside from “Narcos”, there might not be too much talked about Colombia. 🤣

As such, I thought I would start by squashing a few misconceptions about where I am going. For starters, the most common confusion is the name of the country. I am going to Colombia NOT Columbia. I know British Columbia and the District of Columbia can lead one to assume the spelling is the same, but of course, English is never that simple. 🤣

Now let’s continue with those misconceptions by talking about the landscape. As an assumption, you may think that most of Colombia looks like this:

But would you believe this is Colombia as well? 😮❄️

And this? 😍

Yes, in fact, Colombia is the SECOND most bio-diverse country on the planet, next to Brazil! 💚🌳

Next, let’s talk about the food. Because the country is so bio-diverse, the cuisine varies greatly from region to region. 🤤

For example, one of their most traditional dishes is bandeja paisa, a workman’s plate of beef, beans, pork, plantains, egg, chorizo sausage, and an arepa, or stuffed corn cake.

Next, let’s move on to infrastructure. Being a coastal country, one might imagine more rustic or traditional lodging like this:

But would you believe that this is Colombia too? 😍

Finally, let’s talk about safety. Of course, like anywhere in the world, one has to make smart decisions. Luckily, Colombians have a motto for how to stay safe. They say, “Don’t give papaya!” Basically, don’t put yourself in a situation where something bad might happen. That being said, on a more positive note, Colombia also ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world and one of the most welcoming to tourists!

Now, because the country varies greatly from region to region, I plan to spend THREE FULL DAYS in each of the country’s three major cities: Cartagena, Medellin, and Bogotá. Due to the size of the country, I will fly into Cartagena, take a low-priced internal flight to Medellin, and finally an overnight bus to Bogotá.

This will hopefully help me experience the diversity of cuisine and landscape that comes from the various regions. Also, because I’ve become more spontaneous with my travel style, I have yet to figure out my day-to-day itinerary, but I imagine it will involve a nice mix of beaches and mountains, coffee drinking, salsa dancing, and cultural excursions. ☕💃🏻 📷

Overall, I’m elated to be exploring this country, squashing any more misconceptions, and sharing all of my experiences with you! Until then! 🇨🇴